Patriot's pen gives 6th, 7th and 8th grade students
the opportunity to express their opinion on a
patriotic theme and improve their writing skills,
while they compete for worthwhile awards and prizes.
First place winner will receive a $10,000 Savings
Bond.

Essay Rules:

Essay length: 300 - 400 words.

You must write your own essay.

All essays should be typewritten in English with
no color or graphics and cannot be less than 300
words or greater then 400 words in length.
(Essays under or over these word amounts will be
eliminated.) Every word is counted regardless of
length. The essay title (theme) or added
footnotes do not contribute to the word count.

A contestant must be a student enrolled in
either the 6th, 7th or 8th grade of a public,
private, parochial school or a home study
program in the United States, its territories or
possessions or enrolled in an overseas school as
a dependent of U.S. military or U.S. civilian
personnel to be eligible to enter this contest.
(Foreign Exchange students and former winners
that placed in the national finals are not
eligible to enter this contest.)

The completed essay and entry form must be in
the hands of the VFW Post Chairman by
midnight November 1, 2016.

Contestants may not identify themselves,
their school, city or state in their essay. Do
not put your name on your essay. The entry form
is your essay's cover sheet. Secure the Official
Student Entry Form with a staple or other
fastener on top of your essay. Contestants are
allowed to enter only once (one Post
competition). Contestants found in violation of
this rule will face elimination from the
competition and will be required to return any
and all prize money awarded and received.

The essay must be a contestant's original work
and a product of the contestant's own thinking.
The approach to this year's theme,
"The America I believe In",
should be positive and focus clearly on the
theme. Poetry is not acceptable. Quotations may
be used sparingly if plainly identified wherever
used. A contestant's teacher, counselor or
parent may check the essay for punctuation,
grammar and/or spelling, but the content must
remain the contestant's. Contestants should be
judged on the basis of their essay alone and are
not required to present the essay orally.